by Larry Eder
The Atlanta Track Club continues to innovate. Joining with their footwear and apparel partner, adidas, the ATC and adidas announced the adidas Atlanta City Games, a street track meet to be held in iconic Centennial Olympic Park on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
The adidas Atlanta City Games are in partnership with Global Athletics & Marketing, the innovative event organizer and athlete management company that launched the City Games format in North America in 2016. RunBlogRun had visited City Games formatted events in Newcastle, England, and Manchester, England by the Great Run Company and truly enjoyed them.
It is great to see Rich Kenah, CEO of the Atlanta Track Club continue to build the athletics culture in Atlanta! We look forward this exciting event!
CENTENNIAL OLYMPIC PARK TO HOST ADIDAS ATLANTA CITY GAMES
Olympic All-Star Event Moving from Boston to Atlanta
ATLANTA – JANUARY 26, 2023 — International track and field stars will return to Atlanta in 2023 in a way not seen since the 1996 Olympic Games. Atlanta Track Club in partnership with Global Athletics & Marketing, Inc., announced the inaugural adidas Atlanta City Games to be held in Centennial Olympic Park on Saturday, May 6.
Three-time World Champion and Olympic Bronze Medalist Noah Lyles was on hand in Downtown Atlanta on Wednesday to announce his intention to compete there this spring. “We have a lot of track meets that are popular for track and field fans, but we need to go to where the people are. Atlanta is going to be a great place to do that,” said Lyles, the American record holder in the 200m and one of the sport’s most exciting stars. “If the weather is good and the track is hot, maybe we will go after a world record in the 150m.”
The adidas Atlanta City Games will feature 100m, 150m, 100m hurdles, and 110m hurdles races on a specially engineered 150-meter elevated track straightaway inside Atlanta’s Olympic Park. The meet will also feature a pole vault competition, a 600m road race, and the previously announced adidas Running City Mile. The inaugural adidas Running City Mile is open to the public and will be run in waves according to age groups, culminating in a wave for invited professional athletes. Registration is limited and open now.
“Atlanta is not just Running City USA. It is a city with a deep, historic connection to track and field,” said Atlanta Track Club CEO Rich Kenah. “It is the home of Olympic gold medalists including Edwin Moses, Gail Devers, and Dwight Phillips and the scene of some of the most memorable performances in the history of the sport.”
Global Athletics & Marketing, Inc., a leading event and athlete representation firm, launched the city games format in the United States with the adidas Boston Boost Games in Boston’s Back Bay in 2016 and will serve as the meet organizer along with Atlanta Track Club. Fans will be able to spectate for free and the meet will be streamed live on adidas’s YouTube channel with veteran broadcasters Tim Hutchings and Carrie Tollefson providing commentary.
“We are thrilled to expand our investment in the running community through the first-ever adidas Atlanta City Games,” said Jennifer Thomas, Vice President of Global Sports Marketing at adidas. “Atlanta and the Atlanta Track Club are indispensable partners in adidas’ ongoing mission to change lives through sport, and we hope showcasing these elite athletes will inspire new runners in Atlanta and its surrounding communities for generations to come.”
A full meet schedule and start lists will be announced later in the spring. The adidas Atlanta City Games and adidas Running City Mile are expected to be annual events, held in Atlanta each spring.
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About Atlanta Track Club
Atlanta Track Club is a nonprofit committed to creating an active and healthy Atlanta. Through running and walking, Atlanta Track Club motivates, inspires, and engages the community to enjoy a healthier lifestyle.
With more than 30,000 members, Atlanta Track Club is the second-largest running organization in the United States. In addition to the AJC Peachtree Road Race (peachtreeroadrace.org) – the largest 10K running event in the world, the Publix Atlanta Marathon, PNC Atlanta 10 Miler, and Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, Atlanta Track Club directs more than 30 events per year. Through the support of its members and volunteers, Atlanta Track Club also maintains a number of community initiatives including organizing and promoting the Kilometer Kids youth running program to metro Atlanta youth, honoring high school cross country and track and field athletes through Atlanta Track Club’s All-Metro Banquets and supporting the Grady Bicycle EMT program. For more information on Atlanta Track Club, visit atlantatrackclub.org.
